Light Heavyweight

Light Heavyweight

After a relatively farcical win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 in
Toronto, many were expecting Jones to get a do-over date with Dan
Henderson or rematch former champion Lyoto Machida. Instead,
“Bones” is coaching opposite Chael Sonnen on the 17th season of
“The Ultimate Fighter” before defending his UFC light heavyweight
title against the brash Oregonian on April 27.

Henderson’s knee injury was the pivotal event in what quickly
escalated into one of MMA’s biggest stories of 2012: the
cancellation of UFC 151. Many hoped Henderson would finally get a
crack at Jon Jones in 2013, but the former two-division Pride
titleholder is now taking a backseat to occasional training partner
Chael Sonnen and will instead tackle Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 on
Feb. 23.

Despite wishful talks of fighting Anderson Silva at 185 pounds,
Evans will meet Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 156 on Super Bowl
weekend. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has not seen
action since his failed title bid against former training partner
Jon Jones in April.

Machida had a chance to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC crown for a
second time in September, but he turned it down in hopes of
securing a full training camp date down the line. Instead, Chael
Sonnen got the call as Jones’ next foe, and the Belem, Brazil,
native will be forced to go back to work in the 205-pound division.
Next up: a date with Dan Henderson on Feb. 23.

Davis was primed for a real breakout, as the former NCAA wrestling
champion was tabbed to take on flagging former UFC titleholder
Forrest Griffin at UFC 155. However, Griffin’s knee injury nixed
the fight and there were no other meaningful takers for “Mr.
Wonderful” at 205 pounds, putting the Alliance MMA fighter on the
sidelines for now.

While many observers thought his December dismantling of Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua would be enough to merit a title shot, Gustafsson will
have another hurdle to clear. While champ Jon Jones and challenger
Chael Sonnen handle their “Ultimate Fighter” business, the
up-and-coming Swede will take on former Strikeforce ace Gegard
Mousasi in an April 6 showdown that seems likely to serve as a No.
1 contender bout.

Despite moments of effective fighting, the former Pride grand prix
winner looked like a faded force against young lion Alexander
Gustafsson in Seattle. Rua was battered en route to a unanimous
decision loss in his second straight appearance on a UFC on Fox
bill, leaving “Shogun” without a clear direction at 205 pounds.

Teixeira makes his long-anticipated debut in these rankings after
recording the highest-profile victory of his 10-year career -- a
Jan. 26 unanimous decision over durable veteran Quinton Jackson.
The one-sided win moved Teixeira’s winning streak to 18 in a row,
including three in the UFC, but with champ Jon Jones occupied, the
Brazilian may have to add a few more before he is “in the mix.”

Bader painted over the memory of his last Fox appearance -- a nasty
KO loss to Lyoto Machida in August -- with his most recent one. The
former Arizona State University Sun Devil needed just 50 seconds to
knock down and guillotine Vladimir Matyushenko, a veteran with
nearly twice Bader’s fight experience who had never before been
submitted.

Injury derailed Nogueira’s second UFC main event, which was to come
against Alexander Gustafsson in April. Instead, “Minotoro” opted
for surgery for an injured patella and watched from the sidelines
as Gustafsson went out and cruised past Thiago Silva. The
36-year-old Brazilian will draw perhaps an even tougher assignment
on Feb. 2, when he meets Rashad Evans at UFC 156.